Improvement in flexible joints for pipes



3. P. EU LV ER flexible Saints far Pipes.

NQ.1'63,051 Patented May11,1875.

M'Zmwm THE GRAPHIC COJHOTOrFiTH-Mfifl PARK PLAOEJLY.

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I, TENT JOHN P. GULVER,,OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN FLEXIBLE JOINTS FO R PIPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 163,65 H, dated May 11,1875; application filed April 5, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN P. OULVER, of JerseyCity, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented anImprovement in Flexible Joints for Pipes, of which the following is aspecification:

This invention is more particularly intended to facilitate the laying ofsubmerged pipes across the beds of rivers, 86C. but it may be applied asWell in pipes used under other conditions for conducting water, steam,air, or other fluids. The invention comprises a joint composed of twohollow sections of peculiar construction, communicating with each otherby suitably'arranged passage-ways, and connected by annuluses of softmetal, so arranged as to serve the triple purpose of packing the joint,of providing a hinge or pivot thereto, and of holding the sectionstogether against tension or longitudinal strain.

Figure l is a plan view of a flexible joint for pipes made according tomy invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same,taken in a vertical plane. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section ofthe same, taken in a horizontal plane. Fig. 4. is a vertical transversesection, taken in the line 00 of Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Fig. 5 is a planview, on a smaller scale, showing the manner in which the joint isapplied to use in joining pipe-lengths or pipe-sections; and Fig. 6 is alike view, showin g the manner in which one section of the joint may beturned to an angle-to the other, as required in the use or operation ofthe invention.

A is one section of the coupling, and B is the other. The section A isbifurcated, as shown more fully in Figs. 1, 3, 5, and 6, there being arecess, a, between the two lateral portions'b. Each lateral portion 1)of the section A is hollowed or chambered, as represented at c in Figs.3 and 4. These chambers c communica-te direct with the tubular throat orneck cl of the section. The inner surfaces of the lateral portions b areflat, and in each is provfd'ed a circular port, opening, or passage-Way, f, the two passage-ways being opposite to, and coincident with eachother. Provided in each of the inner flat surfaces of the bifurcatedsection A is an annular groove, a, surrounding, and, preferably,concentric with, the passage-way f thereof. The closed or inner end ofthe section B is formed with flat sides, and is of such thickness orwidth as to fit within the recess a of the section A, snugly, butwithout binding. The open end or neck 9 of this section is ofcylindrical form, answering in shape and size to the corresponding partof the section A. In each of the flat sides of the section B is anopening, port, or passage-way, m. These two passage-ways of sectionB arecoincident with each other, and when the closed end of the said sectionis properly adjusted in the recess a of section A, the passage-ways m ofthe one section are brought opposite to, and coincident with, those f ofthe other, so that communication is established from the interior of onesection to that i of the other. In each of the fiat sides of section Bis an annular groove, a, concentric with the passage-Way m of such side,and when the two parts are brought into juxtaposition, as hereinpreviously set forth, opposite to and coincident with the groove n inthe opposite adjacent inner surface of the adjoining lateral portion 11of section A, there is formed an annular chamber. At 1" are holesextendin g from the outer surface of the two sections inward to theannular chambers, formed one on each side of the inner closed end of thesection B, bythe coincidence ofthe annular groovesn n.

Preparatory to completing the joint, the crevicebetweeu the inner endaforesaid of the section B, and the adjacent surfaces of the bifurcatedsection A,around the circumferences of the passage-ways m f, is lutedWith clay, and the external crevices at the sides of the section B maybe temporarily luted in like manner. This done, melted lead orequivalent soft metal is poured into the annular chambers (formed, ashereinbefore set forth, by the grooves n a) through the holes 1", and,being allowed to cool and solidify, provide solid metal annuluses O,situate partly in the grooves 02 of the section A, and partly in thegrooves n of section B, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. These annulusesconstitute packingrin'gs concentric with the passageways, whereby thetwo sections communicate one with another, and thereby prevent leakagebetween the two sections when the joint is in actual use. The saidannuluses, moreover, being of circular form, constitute pivots uponwhich one section of the joint may be turned to any desired angle withreference to the otherfor example, to a right angle, as shown in Fig. 6.Furthermore, the two annuluses, being bedded in the opposing surfaces ofthe two sections, effectually lock the same together against alltendency to displacement one from another.

It will be obser 'ed that the luting with clay, hereinbefore set forth,is to prevent the molten lead from escaping from the chambers formed bythe grooves 42 it during the operation of casting the annuluses therein;also, that the two sections are, ordinarily, to be made of In the use ofthe flexible joints thus constructed, the pipe-sections to be joined arefitted upon the necks of the two sections A B, as represented in Fig. 5,D indicating pipesections thus attached to, and connected by, thejoints.

By using any desired number of pipe-sections thus connected, afiexiblyjointed pipe may be formed, which may be readily laid acrossrivers, falling nearly vertical from the vessel from which it is payedout to the bottom, and accommodating itself, in a vertical plane, to anyconformation of said bottom.

A pipe as thus made flexible is much less liable to injury at the jointsthan has been found to he the case with any flexibly-jointed pipepreviously known; its sections may be brought or adjusted to a moreacute angle with reference to each other, and the joints themselves maybe made at a comparatively moderate cost, and are very durable.

What I claim as my invention is- The two hollow sections A B, communicatin gwitn'each' other by'rne'ans'of the passages" my, in combination withthe annuluses (J, of soft metal, cast into the grooves n n, andsurrounding the passages m f, the whole constructed and arranged foroperation, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JNO. P. OULVER. Witnesses:

R. M. G. BROAS, JAMES A. WHITNEY.

